I Heard That Song Before

by Mary Higgins Clark

When six-year-old Kay Lansing accompanied her father, who was the landscaper to the wealthy Carrington family, to work, she sneaked into a hidden chapel in the house. She overheard a quarrel of a woman demanding money from a man. At the same time, the Carrington family gave a formal dinner dance. Peter Carrington drove home the 18-year-old daughter of a neighbor, Sarah Althrop. Though her parents heard her come in, in the morning she was not in her room and was never seen again. Peter, a student at Princeton, was suspected in her disappearance, but no case could be made against him. Shortly thereafter, Kay's father was missing; his car was found abandoned near the river. No trace was found of him, either.

Years later Kay, now a librarian in Englewood, goes to the Carrington mansion to ask permission to hold a cocktail party on the estate to benefit a literacy program. Peter gives permission and, after the cocktail party, begins to court Kay. Peter has been under suspicion for years about the disappearance of Susan and the drowning death of his pregnant wife in their swimming pool. Kay falls in love with Peter, feels he is misunderstood and innocent. They marry, and her new found happiness is marred by her discovery of Peter’s affliction of sleepwalking. She seeks to learn the identity of the couple overheard in the chapel when she was a child. She feels that will be key to the story of the disappearance of both Susan and her father. Added to Kay’s troubles is Susan’s mother, who has reopened the investigation into Susan's disappearance by hiring a New York detective.

This is another of Clark's suspenseful novels. The faith of one woman in her husband and the desire for truth of a mother about the disappearance of her daughter are compelling parts of the story. There is enough suspense and action to keep the reader's interest.

Mary Higgins Clark has again introduced an intriguing field by exploring sleepwalking and its repercussions.

This is, as usual, a well written Mary Higgins Clark novel....full of suspense, a bit of romance, with a surprising conclusion reached after many diversions. Guaranteed top entertainment for several hours......